Flora Cantábrica

María Faustina Kowalska.8.English-9-6.22

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María Faustina Kowalska

7. New tasks

The joy brought by the accomplishment of Jesus’ requests, the painting of the picture and its display for public veneration on the first Sunday after Easter, the envisaged Feast of Divine Mercy, did not last long because already in May 1935 Sister Faustina felt intuitively that there would be new tasks which she was very anxious about. When once instead of praying she started reading a religious book, she heard an inner voice, You will prepare the world for My final coming (Diary 429). These words stirred her deeply, and although she pretended not to have heard them she understood them but for the time being did not tell anyone of them.

On the Feast of Pentecost, 9 June 1935, in the evening, when she was in the garden, Jesus gave her a new task: You and your companions shall obtain mercy for yourselves and for the world (Diary 435). Like the biblical prophets, she started enumerating her inadequacies and excusing herself that she was not capable of accomplishing this work. Jesus paid no attention to this and did not withdraw His directive, but encouraged her, saying, Do not fear; I myself will make up for everything that is lacking in you (Diary 435). But she wasn’t sure she had understood His words correctly, that she was to found a new congregation, neither had she been told explicitly to inform her confessor of this, so for the next twenty days she remained silent. Only during a discussion with her spiritual director Father Sopoćko did she disclose that God demands that there be a Congregation which will proclaim the mercy of God to the world and, by its prayers, obtain it for the world (Diary 436). During this conversation she saw Jesus, who confirmed that this was His will, saying, I desire there be such a Congregation (Diary 437). Her repeated protests that she felt unable to meet such a demand were of no avail. On the next day during Mass she saw Jesus, who yet again said that He wanted such a work founded as soon as possible. In a mystical experience after Holy Communion she received a blessing for the task from the Holy Trinity. This proved such an encouragement that it seemed to her nothing would be too difficult, and in an inner act she agreed to carry out God’s will although she knew it would mean great suffering for her.

On Friday, 13 September 1935, Sister Faustina had a vision in her cell of an Angel who was sent down by God to punish the earth. Seeing this sign of God’s wrath, she started begging the Angel to hold off a while for the world to do penance, but when she stood before the majesty of the Holy Trinity she did not dare repeat her plea. But in her soul she felt the power of Jesus’ grace and started to entreat God in the words which she heard in her heart and which later became part of the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy. Then she saw the powerlessness of the Angel, who could not administer the just punishment for the sins of mankind. On the next day when she entered the chapel Jesus instructed her once more how she was to say the prayer on an ordinary rosary. First of all, you will say one Our Father and Hail Mary and the I Believe in God. Then on the Our Father beads you will say the following words: «Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.» On the Hail Mary beads you will say the following words:«For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and those of the whole world,» In conclusion, three times you will recite these words:«Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world» (Diary 476). This is the prayer for the appeasing of God’s wrath.

In the next visions Jesus made great promises to Sister Faustina in connection with the trustful reciting of the Chaplet. He promised the grace of a blessed and tranquil death not only to those who say the Chaplet, but also those at whose deathbed others will say the Chaplet. Even the most hardened sinner who says the chaplet only once will receive grace from My infinite mercy (Diary 687). He said, It pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me when they say the chaplet (Diary 1541). These and other promises Jesus made would be fulfilled only if the practices He had recommended were accompanied by an inner attitude of trust in God combined with an active love of one’s neighbour.